Although numerous attempts have been made to automate the finishing process for textiles, carpeting, and similar materials, these attempts have not always been successful with respect to quality control and/or with respect to production time because of the general lack of uniformity in the work piece. For example, rugs may be cut by various means and have all types of variances therein. The width, length, and angles of the corners all may vary from piece to piece. The edges themselves may be cut with a bow or a crooked wave therein. Known automated systems that only accommodate the general length and the width of the work piece may not be able to accommodate these variations. The result thus may be an inefficient cutting at best or a damaged or rejected work piece.
There is a desire therefore for systems and methods for accommodating non-uniform work pieces in an automated finishing system. The systems and methods should be able to adapt to even minor variations in the work piece in a high speed and efficient manner.